The word 'Tikkabilla' is derived from the name of a game played in parts of India which is similar to hopscotch and the programme takes a hopscotch approach to its format, hopping on stepping stones from story to song to visiting a real place. There are six presenters and each episode is presented by two of them.
Tamba, the puppet, is in every episode, joining in with the fun. Tamba plays the surrogate child asking those tricky and naive questions. The style of the programme is inclusive and interactive, directly addressing the viewing child, making links with their own experience and encouraging them to join in wherever possible.
The eight presenters are Justin, Lorna, Paul, Sarah-Jane, Simon, Amit, Veejay and Toni. They sing and dance, tell stories and perform rhymes, make and decorate things. They lead your child through the 'window on the world' with entertaining, easy-to-understand commentary. They talk directly to your child in an engaging and chatty tone but occasionally take on the role of parent to Tamba.
The Tikkabilla house is brightly coloured, flexible and comfortable with different levels and areas. There's a cosy attic for story telling, a make table, swing seats, somewhere for pets and a large performance area. The round, square and arched windows have been retained from the trusted 'Play School' series and provide a way into the real-world insert material. The Tikkabilla Clock also builds on the original 'Play School' brand. In each episode the clock helps your child with time-telling skills and also provides visual clues to the story coming up with a rotating display of related items.
Through the window offers an interactive opportunity for your child to anticipate and predict which window will reveal the next real-world item. The real-world inserts include animal and natural history sequences, children from around the UK going about their daily lives, films about how things are made and children talking about their favourite things.
A story is at the heart of so many pre-school series and Tikkabilla is no exception. Visual clues are displayed beneath the clock each day, to give children the chance to guess the theme of that day's story. There is a mixture of new and traditional, specially written and published stories, including some from around the world. Children have further chances to play with language in the poems and rhymes which are a regular feature of the show.
There is a dressing-up box in the house. Children love dressing up, and they can watch the presenters (and occasionally Tamba!) dress up to get into character - for a story, poem or song. Afterwards, they could be encouraged to explore different characters themselves.
Songs are a vital part of the programme. There is a combination of traditional and specially written songs, including new words to well-known tunes. There are lots of 'action songs', with plenty of scope for the viewers to 'jump up and join in' and songs with a particular theme such as the weather, transport, feelings, opposites and the very lively Tikkabilla Jive. There are also opportunities for your child to develop their musical listening skills.
The 'makes' featured include art, crafts and cookery. They are paced slowly to allow your child to follow them and have a go themselves after the programme. Tamba asks the questions that your child might ask, to clarify any aspects of the make process. Some of the makes are featured on the Tikkabilla website.
On the Tikkabilla website you and your child can hop back and forth from game to story to make as many times as you like. The hopscotch theme from the programme is continued with Tamba hopping from one square to another when content is linked. Entering the site through the Tikkabilla house, you will find related games, music, stories, makes, colouring in and Through the Window inserts.
In the 'Games and Music' section your child can join in the Tikkabilla fun and learn at the same time. The games cover all the Early Learning Goals and the musical activities encourage your child's communication skills, creativity and physical development. Why not get up and follow Lorna, Paul and Tamba as they do the Tikkabilla Jive?
The stories on the website feature characters familiar to you and your child from the programme, such as Bonny, Banana and Mo, traditional stories acted out by Tamba and the presenters and stories in keeping with Tikkabilla's focus on finding out about different cultures and the world around us.
You can print out various line drawings of the key features of Tikkabilla for your child to colour in: Tamba with the presenters, the clock, the house and a map of the UK with weather symbols.
Encourage your child's creative development with the makes on the website. The makes reflect themes, features and ideas from the programme and also tie into some of the games, printouts and Through the Window features on the site.
'How many windows? One, two, three. Which one will it be?' Building on the interactivity of the 'Through the Window' inserts on television, your child can choose which window to enter and has a choice of three real-world inserts. The 'Through the Window' section helps your child to find out more about the world around them.
